Jackson County Legislators hear options to rapidly replace the jail

Some Jackson County want to move forward with a plan to replace the crumbling detention center that has been the source of numerous complaints about unsafe, unsanitary and disorganized conditions.

County legislators on Monday heard from members of the public on a resetting of property tax levels to 2008 levels. The adjustment would bring in an expected $19.5 million a year to pay off the roughly $180 million facility, which would likely be built on land close to Interstate 435 and Truman Road.

Bonds would be used to finance construction, and no public vote would be required for the single-story, 1,000-bed detention center. It could be expanded to up to 1,800.

"In case, in the future, if you need it to house more people you could add a wing," said Dan Tarwater, County Legislator. "There would be a mental health facility tied in with it."

If county officials move as quickly as the hope, construction could begin as early as summer, 2019.